You want to enjoy this beautiful season without allergy symptoms, and we don’t blame you. Luckily, there are plenty of methods out there to treat allergies.
What are Seasonal Allergies?
People can be allergic to all kinds of foods, plants, and substances, and the severity of allergic symptoms really varies from person to person.
Seasonal allergies occur when your immune system reacts to something in the environment like pollen, grass, or mold, etc.
Here’s what happens:
– As you breathe in the environmental trigger, it sets off alarm bells in your immune system.
– Your body starts rapidly producing immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in response to the allergen.
– From then on, every time you encounter that type of pollen or mold, your immune cells begin the release of histamines (a chemical compound that is part of your body’s inflammatory response).
Symptoms
For most people, seasonal allergy symptoms include:
– Runny nose
– Itchy eyes, nose, or mouth
– Watery eyes
– Constant sneezing or urge to sneeze
– Stuffy nose and congestion
– Cough
As you can imagine, these symptoms can wreak havoc on your daily life. People with seasonal allergies often have trouble sleeping due to nasal congestion, leading to chronic fatigue and exhaustion.
Allergies can also make spending time outside feel like t0rture, which severely limits your social life and ability to go on walks and get fresh air.
Home Remedies for Seasonal Allergies
1) Hydration through Water
When the respiratory and digestive systems are dehydrated, the immune system will cause a rebound effect leading to nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, and/or coughing. Do the following in order to optimize your hydration:
– Try to drink 2 to 3 cups of plain warm water upon awakening. Wait at least 30 minutes before eating or drinking anything.
– Stick with having warm meals eaten with a spoon and in a bowl. These meals should hopefully naturally contain water (i.e., green vegetables, beans, oats, quinoa, millet, mushrooms).
– Do not drink liquids while eating. Instead wait a half hour before drinking lots of warm water.
– Try to fast 3 hours before bed. Make sure to have 2 cups of water during the evening.
– Drink 1 cup of water before and after showering.
2. Saline nasal irrigation
A nasal rinse clears mucus from your nose and can ease allergy symptoms. Not only can it reduce nasal drip, but it can also wash out any bacteria or allergies you’ve inhaled.
3. Quercetin and Leafy Green Vegetables
Quercetin is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most especially leafy green vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, and spring onions. It’s a bioflavonoid which moderates histamine production and release.
Bioflavonoid is an ambiguous term which used to be called “Vitamin P”. It is responsible for giving plants their pigmentation. The term now describes the broad category that includes antioxidants and anti-inflammatory enzymes.
Quercetin has been tested in clinical trials. It has been shown to reduce irritation of the airways while improving one’s overall health. In concentrated doses, it can help to control the severe anaphylactic reaction to certain foods, like peanuts. It does take time to build up sufficient doses of quercetin, so those prone to seasonal allergies would do well to begin taking quercetin and load up on having lots of vegetables weeks or even months in advance of the allergy season.
Then again, these foods are so healthy that it is best to eat them all the time.
4. Citrus Fruits
High in vitamin C, bioflavonoids, and antioxidants, citrus fruits (especially lemons) are extremely good for boosting immune response and preventing the symptoms of seasonal allergies.
This is another of those remedies that works best in smaller, more frequent doses. Add a splash of lemon juice to olive oil, for a salad dressing, or add lemon and apple cider vinegar to a glass of water a few times a day, for regular immune support and symptom relief.
Stick with having a small orange instead of drinking orange or other fruit juice. Eating the citrus fruit is significantly more beneficial to the immune system versus drinking the juice form.
5. Honey
The idea behind consuming local honey for allergy symptoms is that you can acclimate your body to the pollen present in your area by eating local honey. There is not strong evidence for this activity, and you should make sure you’re buying from a brand made in the same region of the country where you live.
6. Apple cider vinegar
You’ve probably heard apple cider vinegar touted as a “miracle cure” for everything from cold symptoms to digestive discomfort. It does have anti-inflammatory effects on the immune system, meaning it might be helpful in reducing seasonal allergy symptoms. Try mixing one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into a glass of water with a dash of lemon juice.
7. Herbal tea or supplements
Various herbal remedies have been used for treatment of allergy symptoms, including butterbur, turmeric, and nettle leaf. Again, the evidence is not strong but some studies have shown benefit. You can buy them as supplements, extracts, powders, or tea.
8. Essential oils
Essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus oil, peppermint, chamomile, and lemongrass can be used for seasonal allergy symptoms. You can place a few drops in your bath, use the oil on a dryer ball with your laundry, or make homemade candles or body creams.
9. Keep out breezes
Keep windows and doors closed and turn on the A/C if needed, especially when the pollen count is high. This will help lower your exposure to irritants.
10. Air purifier
Air purifiers can be an expensive investment, but they’re worth it if you live in a household with one or more allergy sufferers. These devices work by filtering the indoor air and removing dust particles, pollen particles, or other allergens floating around in your space.
Sources: khealth.com, sfadvancedhealth.com, urgentcaresouthaven.com
